Winter Heat Read online

  “Technically no, stress levels are at an all-time high during the holiday season. Statistically, I could show you the rate of mental health—”

  “No, thank you,” I interrupted, a bit snappier than I intended.

  “Are you mad because you don’t get to spend more time with your boss, Vaughn? This job would have given you a reason to work closer with him. I know you would like to have intercourse with him.”

  “Fuck, Adam. You can’t just say that out loud.” I looked around the bar. Sometimes my coworkers liked to come here since it was so close to the office.

  “Why not?” he asked, his brows dipped in confusion. “It’s true. You’re a woman. He’s a virile man. It’s perfectly natural.”

  “Because it’s embarrassing. He’s never acted even remotely interested in me.”

  “Have you stated your intentions? Explained that you would like to have sex with him?”

  I blinked. “When was I supposed to do that? In the middle of a meeting? You can’t just say that to people, Adam. Please tell me you don’t say that to women.”

  “There is nothing wrong with politely stating your needs and intentions, Sena. And for the record, I can statistically support the theory that most women prefer a man who is upfront. I can email you a graph I made. I’m quite popular with other professors at the university. You’d be particularly interested in the control group of women above twenty-five.”

  “Yeah, just send that right on over then,” I replied in a dry tone. Adam was hot, smart, thorough, and upfront. Even though he was a major nerd, he still had game at the university where he was a physics professor. I had no doubts that he found plenty of women willing to be in his control group.

  “You’re being sarcastic,” Adam stated.

  I pulled cash out of my purse and paid for my drink, dreading the upcoming holiday party. I would have brought Adam as my date, but he isn’t a fan of socializing. “You could always go work with Mary in San Francisco?” Adam suggested. “She’s offered you a very good compensation and benefits package that is at least four percent better than your current wages, with more opportunity for growth.”

  My shoulders slumped. I knew I had a job whenever I wanted it in San Francisco. Mary and I had gone to college together, and she was desperate to bring me on at her new magazine that was taking the tech world by storm. It was an amazing opportunity…but I loved New York.

  “And miss out on all our weekly adventures?” I asked while clutching my chest and smiling at Adam. “I could never.”

  Adam relaxed a bit. I hadn’t realized the suggestion of me leaving had bothered him so much. “I’m not planning on leaving you anytime soon, Adam.”

  Adam nodded and fidgeted for a moment before replying. “Have fun at the holiday party. You’ve already had two drinks, and with your current body mass index and the alcohol content of your preferred drink of choice, you should probably limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage every seventy-two minutes for the remainder of the night. Also, you are ovulating, so you should make sure you have protection should you decide to have intercourse tonight.”

  What the fuck? Somehow, I wasn’t even surprised. “How do you know I’m ovulating, Adam?” I asked while massaging my temples.

  He pulled out his phone and opened his calendar. “According to my period tracker, you started—”

  “Enough. Please, whatever you were about to say, just don’t.” Of course Adam tracked my periods. He probably was writing a thesis about women’s cycles and how it correlated to their moods. “Is this why you always bring chocolate ice cream over when I’m on my period?!” I asked. “I should have known it wasn’t a coincidence.”

  “Day three is your heavier flow. I just assumed—”

  I shook my head. “Nope. We are not going there. I am so sorry that I asked.”

  “Be safe. Have fun at the party,” Adam said with a proud grin while straightening his spine. “Call if you need anything.”

  “Will do,” I replied with a chuckle before waving goodbye to my friend and exiting the bar.

  Chapter 2

  I absolutely did not stick to Adam’s drink advice.

  “Another Bloody Mary Christmas?” the bartender asked, his eyes wide in shock at what I assumed was my swaying body and sloppy smirk. The punny beverage had become my drink of choice at the holiday party.

  “You know me so well,” I replied with a wink. I tried to be professional today. I really did. I did the whole small talk thing with my coworkers and smiled when comments about the new managing editor came up. Many people were surprised that I didn’t get the promotion, and although that should have made me feel better, it didn’t. It actually made the entire situation worse. It wasn’t all in my head. I really did deserve this job, so why did Vaughn give it to his baby brother?

  Vaughn’s family had old money and was well-known in the city. This media company was just one of their many streams of income. I understood why they wanted to keep things in the family, but still thought he could have started out at a lower position and worked his way up. He didn’t even seem like he wanted the job. The man child was sitting on his phone and taking selfies in the corner all night, not even bothering to chat with his future employees.

  “Another drink?” Vaughn asked beside me. I swallowed. I hadn’t even seen him approach me.

  I’d been avoiding my boss all night, but it didn’t stop me from ogling him from afar. Vaughn fucking Richards was too damn sexy for his own good. He had olive skin, brown hair and a coarse beard that I wanted to run my hand over regularly. He was tall. Polished. Hardworking. Every woman in this city had a gigantic lady boner for him—me included.

  He came from a wealthy family. Was hardworking. Had a classic sense of style, and his bright smile was dangerous. Very dangerous. We’d worked closely over the years, and what started as a crush grew to something much deeper with time. It terrified me. I’d wanted to tell him how I felt, but worried about the consequences. His rejection would crush me.

  “I’m just really enjoying the open bar,” I replied with a hiccup before turning to face him. God, he was so beautiful. It honestly should be illegal to look that good in a suit. His eyes danced playfully as he took me in.

  “I like your dress, Sena,” he whispered. “Reminds me of that banquet we attended incognito. That story put Jet Times back on the map.”

  “Ah, the mafia bust?” I asked. That truly was a fun time. We’d gotten dressed up and had a front row seat to the FBI’s raid of one of the largest criminal organizations in the world. When we broke the story first, Vaughn had champagne delivered by the case to the office. Everyone got a bottle.

  “You seem off lately, is everything okay?” he asked. I hated his kindness. Vaughn was a good boss. He was always checking on his employees. He implemented a lot of ethical practices for the company, encouraging paternity leave and providing one of the best health insurance packages money could buy. He was a good man; it’s why I didn’t understand why he hired his brother. He had to know he was underqualified. I could list five people who had been working for the Jet Times who deserved the job more than he did—me included.

  “I was just shocked by your announcement today,” I admitted.

  Vaughn’s brow rose. “Oh?”

  “Your brother is fresh out of college. He didn’t even intern here last summer, Vaughn.”

  His face turned sour, and he turned his attention to the bartender. “Whiskey on the rocks, please.”

  I rolled my eyes. Of course he would avoid this. “I’m not trying to be rude here, I just thought—”

  “That you deserved it?” His eyes were far too playful for my tastes. The corner of his lip quirked in a way that made me feel childish. He could have patted me on the head to complete the patronizing effect.

  “Well, yeah, Vaughn. We’ve worked together for almost seven years. You know I’m capable. I just thought you saw how fit I was for this promotion since we’ve worked so closely together. We were in Iraq together. We
covered the Zika virus in Brazil. You’ve always liked getting your feet wet with a story. No other publication has an editor in chief willing to leave his cozy corner office and get in the trenches. I thought we bonded over that. I thought—”

  “We’ve done a lot together, Sena,” Vaughn whispered, his voice a low rasp. I had to force myself not to imagine romantic affection in his tone. We weren’t like that. I knew Vaughn didn’t want me. If he did, he would have acted on it by now. Vaughn was the type of man to go after what he wanted. He didn’t hold back with anything in his life. Relationships and women were no different. “Look,” he began, “I stand by my decision. I think my brother will do great. You’re my best girl, Sena. This place couldn’t run without you. We can talk more about this later, okay? I have to go.”

  The tears forming in my eyes made my vision blurry. Maybe Adam was right. Maybe I was clinging to this job for Vaughn and not for my love of Jet Times. Vaughn passing me up for this opportunity felt like a betrayal, but more so, this felt like confirmation that I was willing to settle for a stagnant career that was going nowhere for a chance with Vaughn. I’d seen all my friends take on better jobs and climb the ladder of success. I’d turned down opportunities for this man because I couldn’t stomach the thought of not working with him. How else was I going to spend time with him? I put my life on pause for a coworker who wouldn’t—couldn’t—love me back. And I didn’t even have the right to be angry with him. I allowed myself to get stuck in this role. Not anymore.

  I guzzled my drink and grabbed another. My phone pinged, and I pulled it out of my pocket.

  Mary: Happy Holidays, Love! When are you going to come work for me? I saw Jet Times hired an infant as their new managing editor.

  I chewed on my lip and stared at the fuzzy screen for a moment while blinking. After a moment’s deliberation, I started typing with sluggish fingers.

  Me: Lets do this thanggg. I aceptty.

  Mary immediately replied.

  Mary: I’m assuming you’re drunk, but I don’t care. I’m taking this and running with it. Check your email in the morning for your official offer. I’ll include a pretty nice moving stipend. You’re going to love it!

  Oh shit. I actually did it. I was going to move to San Francisco.

  The feedback of a speaker made me jump, and I spun around to face the front of the room where my boss stood, clutching a glass of whiskey and wearing a smile. “Hello, everyone,” his smooth voice said. “I wanted to thank you all for being here.” I grabbed my drink and took a gulp. I was totally drunk. “Jet Times has had many accomplishments this year. Our team has ethically and efficiently climbed the journalism ranks not only in this great city, but across the country. We couldn’t have done it without the hard work of everyone in this room.”

  I snorted into my drink, making a nearby reporter take a step away from me. I was all aboard the hot mess express and surprisingly didn’t give two fucks about it. “I was the team lead for most of the reports that made the front page, but whatever. Let’s hire the incompetent man child who probably still spends his weekends at the frat house,” I murmured into my drink. Someone cleared their throat.

  Vaughn fucking Richards continued his speech. “I am so excited to start the new year with my brother by my side. I know that he will excel here at the Jet Times. I also know you all will welcome him with open arms. We all feel like family here.”

  I took another drink. Yeah, I was absolutely buzzing something fierce. Nope. I was hammered. The entire room practically swayed. “But are we family though?” I asked, my voice carrying across the room. Everyone turned to face me. Whispers erupted. I was the main character of my story tonight. “Because if we were family, like, you would have given me the job I busted my ass for instead of your inexperienced brother, since you’re into nepotism and everything.”

  Someone gasped. Oh shit. I said that out loud. I took another drink. Vaughn fucking Richards handed the mic off to someone and started pushing through the crowd to get to me, his face fixed in a determined glare. I knew that look; it was one we wore when we worked the field. Riots in New Jersey. Hurricanes. Fires. Elections. Scandals. We spent a lot of time together over the years, so I was able to learn his various expressions, and the one he was giving me now was full of rage.

  Well. I’d already pissed him off. Go big or go home.

  I leaned to the right, my languid limbs moving on their own accord as I spoke. “I’ve busted my ass for the Jet Times. I once got frostbite on my tits while covering that blizzard in 2017. I had paint dumped on me during a riot. I’ve been shot at. I’ve been cursed out. I gave everything for this company, and you’re giving my job to him!?” I nodded at my new boss and shivered. Vaughn’s brother was standing off to the side, his cheeks red and his eyes averted from my outburst. “I have bras older than him. Hell, I have holes in my underwear older than him. Does experience mean nothing anymore?!”

  “Stop talking right now, Sena,” Vaughn growled while stalking closer.

  “Actually, you know what? I think I’d like to quit,” I said. I lifted my drink for a toast to the demise of my career. “To glass ceilings, nepotism, and this delicious Bloody Mary Christmas.” A few people clapped. Someone cheered. Most everyone kept quiet and tried to get as far away from me as possible. Welcome to the shit show, ladies and gentlemen.

  Vaughn made it to me by the time I was draining my drink. Ripping the glass from my fingers, he grabbed me by the elbow and guided me down the hallway and toward the elevators. I followed him with a grin on my face. The room spun. I swayed, leaning against his hard body while laughing. I was done. Finally done. No more pining. No more settling.

  I just quit my job.

  And I was finally done chasing after Vaughn Richards.

  Chapter 3

  I woke up to my head pounding. The sliver of light in my bedroom felt like someone was shining their high beams into my eyes. I swallowed, my cotton mouth drier than brut champagne. I groaned. “You did not listen to my drink advice, Sena,” Adam said. I opened one eye, then another.

  Adam was sitting on my pink accent chair in the corner of my bedroom and typing away on his computer. His legs were crossed at the ankle, and he wore a comic book shirt that was so tight I wondered how he could possibly move. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I put ibuprofen on your nightstand. Your boss called me at eleven thirteen last night. He wanted to take you home himself, but the party was still going on.”

  Like a freight train, memories of the night before hit me. “Ohhhh, shit,” I croaked.

  “Yes. You quit your job last night. In front of everyone,” Adam replied dryly. “Vaughn was very worried about you. Also, did you mean to kiss him?”

  I blinked. “I didn’t kiss him.” I fucking hope I didn’t kiss him. Seven years of friendship and coworking cohabitation down the drain. Fuck.

  “I just assumed since his lips were covered in lipstick the same shade you were wearing. And your own makeup was a bit smeared. But it could have been the vomit.” Vomit?! Vomit! “By the way, we really need to discuss how dehydrated you were.” I wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

  “Vaughn has called you fourteen times already this morning. I suggest calling him back.”

  I reached for my phone, my head throbbing from the pain. Oh God. I did not want to speak to Vaughn. Couldn’t I just ghost him for the rest of my life?

  When I pulled up my phone, I had a variety of texts. Some of them from coworkers congratulating me for being so badass last night, some asking if they could have my cubicle. I paused on the one from Mary.

  Mary: Good morning, doll face. I sent over the offer. Spoke with Vaughn this morning. (Mostly to rub it in a bit) He’s under the impression you aren’t leaving? I thought for sure your drunken walk out was enough, but he might request an official two-week notice. Let me know what you think of the offer. It’s better than the last time I tried stealing you away.

  “I quit my job last night and accepted a job fro
m Mary,” I said in disbelief. What was I thinking?

  “I know,” Adam replied with a roll of his eyes. “I’m currently trying to find a faculty position in”—he stopped talking to grimace—“California.”

  “What?” I asked, snapping my attention to Adam. “What do you mean?”

  “So I can move with you, of course.”

  Okay. We needed to pump the brakes a bit. I was just about to ask Adam what he was thinking when my phone rang again. Vaughn. Shit.

  “Hello?” I answered cautiously. I might have made an idiot of myself last night, but I couldn’t avoid him forever. It was better to rip the Band-Aid off now and get it over with.

  “You’re late.”

  I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the time. “What? I’m off the next week and a half.”

  “Not anymore, you aren’t. Since you insist on quitting and moving to fucking San Francisco, I must insist that you provide your formal two weeks’ notice and come in to assist with the transition.” Vaughn was practically growling. Shit. I really pissed him off yesterday.

  “Vaughn, I’m so sorry about how I handled things—”

  “Come to the office, Sena,” he said, this time softer. His voice was a plea.

  “Okay. I’ll be there soon.”

  When I hung up, Adam spoke. “They have a Biology opening, but I’d rather gouge my eyes out. The human body is disgusting.”

  “Says the man tracking my cycle,” I replied.

  “Keep your enemies close…”

  I rolled my eyes. “Adam, do not apply to any jobs yet. We need to discuss this, but I need to go to work.”

  “I printed off a few apartment listings within five miles of each other in San Francisco and left it on your counter. Did you know that the average rent in San Francisco for a one-bedroom apartment in the city is approximately three thousand five hundred dollars per month, and utilities cost around one hundred fifty dollars a month?”